We’ve been seeing some memes circulating – they’re total “fake news.” They’re sporting fancy logos and graphics, shared by what appears to be a legit website, when it’s really just a “fake news” site.
What’s worse is that some really smart people (hello, you savvy attorneys, doctors and close relatives) share it, because they wrongfully believe the news is true.
And we know how easy it is to click and share without verifying the info you pass onto your networks. Here are three of the most recent family law-related “fake news” gaffes we’ve noticed.
TOTALLY FAKE NEWS:Whether the sexual relationship was consensual or the mother was victimized sexually by the child’s biological father, a mother always has a right to request child support through our courts.
While the biological father has the right to file a complaint for custody and visitation rights, a history of violence and whether the parent poses a threat to the health, safety, and well-being of the child will be considered by the court in determining whether visits are in the child’s best interests.
Sometimes visits may be supervised, sometimes the court can require a risk analysis or even psychological evaluation, and in some cases parenting time may not be appropriate. Each case is fact-sensitive.
TOTALLY FAKE NEWS:Whether it be Delaware (as this “fake news” suggests) or New Jersey, there are no restrictions on what can be purchased using child support funds.
Though we’d certainly expect that support is used for the child, certain household expenses are well within the purview of child support, likehousing,utilities, car payments, gas, and vacations with the children.
And, because fathers can receive child support too, this “fake news” would lead us to believe that only moms get support, or that moms are somehow reckless in using the funds they receive. That’s definitely “fake news” in our book.
TOTALLY FAKE NEWS:This looks so real, right? It looks like there are typos and incomplete sentences if you read the text closely – most won’t.
We bet some people paying child support were elated to read this but, sorry– it’s “fake news”! Child support isn’t going anywhere!
Just make sure you stay tuned to Petrelli Previtera, LLC on Twitter and Facebook to keep up on the latest REAL developments as they impact your obligation.
Remember, just because it looks like real news, and maybe it’s even shared by someone you love and trust, it may just be “fake news”!